Recent Tasting Notes

sample from VariaTEA and this is kinda….meh? The website calls this one “An unparalleled combination of sweet and malty black tea with honey and honeybee pollen.” all i’m getting is a rather bland black tea. it’s not malty and i don’t get that honey taste at all. It MIGHT have something to do with the way it was stored or some such, so i’ll refrain from rating this one…but it’s about a 65 for me i’d say.

Jen at Pekoe Sip House was nice enough to send me a couple samples of their teas and I decided to try their Dragonwell today. Before I get into the tea itself I decided to do a little research on Pekoe Sip House since I never heard about them before and this is my first tea from. Pekoe Sip House is a certified B Corp which is a business that strives to solve societal and environmental problems. According to Pekoe Sip House’s blog there are dedicated to ethical sourcing both their teas and their coffee, being environmentally friendly and supporting local charities. All of which sounds pretty cool. While a lot of tea stores strive to help the various people directly involved in tea production, I have not seen many invested in supporting local charities as well; it’s nice to see a business trying to be a positive presence in their community while ethically souring their products.

Dry Leaves: There is quite a bit of variation in the tea leaves. I was excited to see tea stems mixed in. I know outside of Japan and Taiwan tea stems/stalks are often seen as garbage, I’ve found they add quite a bit of flavor to the brewed tea itself, but I digress. The leaves are darker green than anything else, although there is a little light green and brown mixed in. The leaves had a nice woodsy scent.

First Steeping
Temperature: 175oF
Brewing Time: One Minute
Aroma: Fruity
Flavor: Fruity, Floral and Nutty
Tasting Notes: I was really taken back by this tea, I was expecting a nuttier tea, but in this first infusion I found a lot of floral and fruity notes while the nutty taste was a little light. It had a really nice body, a little stronger then what I was expecting, especially for brewing it for only one minute. The leaves have a lot left to give.

Second Steeping
Temperature: 180oF
Brewing Time: Two Minutes
Aroma: Peach
Flavor: Fruity, Nutty and Floral
Tasting Notes: It had a nice peach scent this time; I couldn’t really distinguish individual scents last time. It still is fruity, but it is starting to become a little more distinct this time, more towards berries then the lighter fruit flavors (apples, pears, etc). It had a nice nutty taste, a little like a cross between fresh peanut butter and roasted almonds. Still is floral, but considerably weaker.

Third Steeping
Temperature: 180oF
Brewing Time:Three Minutes
Aroma: Lychee and Nutty
Flavor: Peach, Apricot and Nutty
Tasting Notes: It has started to become overwhelmingly fruity! Rather surprising for a dragonwell, but not unpleasant. The aroma is becoming weaker. The liquor is becoming lighter, but the flavors are becoming more potent.

I rather liked this Dragonwell, I was slightly disappointed by the fruity flavors being more prominent than the nutty ones, but I’ve had plenty of stellar nutty Dragonwells, not a lot good fruity Dragonwells; this definitely falls into the latter category. I wouldn’t recommend this for someone looking for a very traditional nutty Dragonwell. This is a nice introduction to Dragonwells and green teas; for $7.48 (at the time of writing this) is not a bad deal at all. If you are looking for 50g at below $8 you are probably going to have a hard time find a better deal than this.

This oolong blend is potent. Very lemony without being tart with a tasty spicy like basil bite. The finish is creamy sweet lemon, like a lemon custard. The oolong base adds a little earthyness, but is really in the background as the lemon and basil flavor are strong and the main focus.

Torn on this one, I love the lemon basil flavor, I could drink this tea all day and would be amazing iced too – but I miss the oolong.

Preparation

CARROTTEA! Very tasty tea, the carrots have a sweet vegetal mellow flavor that pairs well with the savory buttery green and grassy mate base. End of sip is a pineapple flavor, with an aftertaste of papaya and buttery green. I could see this tea being awesome cold steeped or iced! The fruity and veg flavors are at a nice level to enjoy the green and mate base.

Preparation

Oh what a miserable day it has been, and it is misery of my own doing! Ok, that is not entirely true, I was misled by the outside world. When I popped outside to check the mail it was rainy, dreary, and a bit chilly…my favorite kind of day, so I dressed what I thought was appropriately for a trip to the laundry mat (eww) with my mom. Nope, I was deceived, before long the temperature dropped (it must have) because I was freezing and felt like I was hit by a soggy truck filled with misery turkeys (no I don’t know why the misery took the form of turkeys, it just did.) After we got home I snuggled into a robe, under a fuzzy blanket, and piled heating pads on my joints until I felt like moving again.

Today’s tea from Pekoe Sip House goes perfectly with my current state of blah, No Pain Rooibos Tea, a blend of Rooibos, Turmeric, Ginger, Clove, Cardamon, Cinnamon, and Cardamon. There looks like there is Fenugreek (Methi Seed) and Peppercorns in here as well, I truly wish that the teas listed all their ingredients, it is probably my only complaint (if there are more complaints I have not found them yet) about Pekoe Sip House, but it is mainly because I am anal about ingredients what with the gluten intolerance. Back before I had to pay super attention to ingredients I could care less, it made things more surprising for me. So, if you get your hands on this tea, be prepared to be greeted with one of the yummiest smells ever when you open the bag, especially if you are a big lover of Indian foods. It is like a woody blend of curry, turmeric, chai spices, and a touch of sweetness. I really love the way this smells, it blends the savory notes of curry dishes with the sweeter spices and rooibos really well, it calms my near constant craving for curry too, which is an added plus.

So, steeping this tea is a little mouthwatering, it smells so warm and the spices waft out of the steeping tea like a golden mist (or it does if I close my eyes while sniffing it) warming the tea nook. The soggy pile of leaves and spices on their own have a neat blend of nuttiness, woody sweetness, caramel, fenugreek, gloves, ginger, and sharp turmeric. It reminds me more of food than tea, like someone made a curry and added rooibos to it, something I need to try now. The liquid also smells quite yummy, with strong notes of curry and chai spices along with that distinct sweet caramel woodiness of rooibos, really these notes work perfectly together. Where usually ‘red chai’ blends tend to fall a little short (at least for me) the addition of the more savory spices seems to add that missing something.

Usually I do not hold much stock in the ‘this tea will do this thing’ with regards to health, I drink for taste, but if a tea has an added benefit then cool! I do admit that I tend to eat a lot more curry when I am having inflammation problems, but since curry is one of my favorite comfort foods that makes sense. And like curry sipping this tea is very warming, it feels warm down to my toes (no small feat, my feet are always cold and usually a bit blue, just like my hair!) The taste is really delicious, a blend of savory turmeric, fenugreek, and curry notes at the start, this transitions to woody sweetness and a touch of citrus at the finish. It has a tiny bit of herbaceous bitterness from the turmeric and fenugreek, but I find it delicious. I could very much so seeing this tea being an acquired taste, not everyone is a fan of fenugreek and turmeric’s distinct taste…or having their tea taste like slightly sweet and woody curry. Conveniently this fits right into my personal happy place, making this tea my favorite of the three I tried and a must have for my permanent tea supply. Also, don’t forget, Pekoe Sip House was nice enough to give me a coupon code to share with my readers, use teajoy for 25% off all teas.

TGIF, remember back in the 90s when THE thing to do was sit around watching TV on a Friday evening? That is when all the cool shows were on, and they had all those funky theme songs with catchy lyrics and fun colors. At least I think that was a thing, for me, my friday nights from 5pm till 3am were listening to Friday Night 80s on Star 94. The fact that I can remember the name of the radio station I listened to almost fiften years ago is astounding! It was very much so a thing for me, I refused to let the 80s die…I still refuse to let the 80s die, the New Wave is here and I have some serious Flock of Seagulls Hair. It is more an accident, I went to sleep with slightly damp hair and woke up with a giant sideways mess.

So, today is the second day of my little Peko Sip House feature, and I am looking at Summer of Love Herbal Tea, a blend of fruit, fennel, melissa, and linden tree blossoms. There is not a full list of ingredients, so alas, I cannot tell you what is all in this very colorful tea, but I do like that it has melissa (also known as Lemon Balm) and linden tree (also known as Tilia) both ingredients I do not see too often. You all know that herbal blends that have unusual or rare ingredients make for a happy me. The aroma of the leaves (and flowers, seeds, and fruit bits) has a lot going on, it has floral, herbal, and fruity notes. I detect a slight peppery note, some fennel, citrus, pineapple, peach, a bouquet of flowers, and a tiny bit of tanginess at the finish. The aroma reminds me a lot of summers growing up in Atlanta with my mother’s ridiculously lush garden.

Giving the pile of petals and such a steeping really brings out the melissa, it is sharp and lemony. There is also rose, peach, pineapple, and fennel notes that pop up with a honey and citrus finish. The liquid is much the same, a tad bit lighter and fruitier, also there is a tiny hint of dill. Not sure where that came from, but it is not unpleasant, again it brings to mind summer while lounging in a beautiful garden.

The taste is interesting, a little odd, but not in a bad way. The mouthfeel is surprisingly thick, almost like drinking jello before it has set…if you have not done that you really should, it is a great texture. The taste is fruity and sweet, a blend of peaches, pineapple, and a touch of citrus. Of course there are lots of flower notes and herbal notes, the fennel gives it an interesting finish. This tea is really unusual but fun, I found myself enjoying it and it really does remind me of summer, the beautiful full verdant parts of summer, not the dry hot part that I loathe so much. Also, don’t forget, Pekoe Sip House is offering 25% off using coupon code teajoy.

You know, you think I would learn my lesson from past mistakes, but no, I didn’t! Guys, never use Splat! Dye, their bleach is pretty fantastic, some of the best I have used…but their dye is just awful. First time I used it was for purple dye, what I ended up with fuschia…next time for dark blue (which worked pretty well) and now this most recent time for emerald green, which gave me teal. The colors are ok, the problem is the bleeding, the fading, and the uneven splotchiness that it leaves my hair. The only reason I got it instead of my usual Adore brand (which…heh…I do adore) is because I needed bleach for my roots and was a bit short on cash. Le sigh, I have very splotchy and already pretty badly faded hair, so I ended up using some amazon credit to buy the dye I like. Lessons learned that HOPEFULLY I will remember this time around!

Today is day one of a little three day feature on a new to me tea shop (always exciting to find something new!) Pekoe Sip House, a well estabilished trio of Boulder, Colorado cafes, recently opened their online shop, meaning us non-locals can try some of their teas. They are a Certified B Corporation (and organization I had not heard of until now, but I do live under a very large rock) meaning they are commited to doing good things for the community, environment, and things of that nature, always a plus in my book! Also a huge plus, they offered a coupon code to share with my readers, for 25% off site-wide using the code: teajoy so a big thank you there! So, after that brief introduction, it is time for Green Figs Green Tea, a green tea with a figgy theme. I am just going to lay this out on the table, figs are my all time favorite fruit, hands down. I have been hunting far and wide for a fig themed tea that actually tastes like figs, and since this tea has actual chunks of fig in it, I actually have high hopes. The aroma of this tea is intensely sweet, like really really sweet, like someone took dried berries and figs and drizzled them with honey. There is also a mellow note of rose petals and fresh vegetation, but mostly you get fruity goodness and sweetness, thought it is almost too sweet.

Tossing the leaves and fruity bits into my little steeping…thing…I know it is part of a glass double boiler, but it really looks like something from a medieval alchemy lab. The brewed leaves definitely smell like figs, certainly there are notes of super sweet berries and roses, but there is such a strong note of fig that you can definitely tell there are dried figs in this steeped tea. The liquid is a sweet bordering on too sweet (a recurring themed with the aromas I see) with strong notes of fig, honey, berries, and a light bit of rose and vegetation.

Ok, now it is time for the real test, for all this tea’s smelling like figs, does it taste like fig? Yes, yes it definitely tastes like figs! It is a fairly mellow tasting tea, sweet and delicately green. Not a super ‘green’ tea so this could be a good starting point for someone who is just starting to dip their toes into the sea of green. The notes resemble vegetation and growing things, like the leaves acompanying the fruity notes and floral notes present. The tea starts off as honey drizzled berries, primarily raspberry and blackberry, this moves on to roses and growing things, with a great sweet explosion of fig at the end. The fig tastes blooms and then lingers into and aftertaste that I greatly enjoyed! I can certainly see this tea becoming a new favorite, finally a fig tea that actually tastes like fig!

I would have posted a change if there had actually been much of one! I bleached it and instead of a rich emerald green it was bright teal…pretty much the same as it was before :P just splotchier and already fading to swamp water. Blech!

I’ve been an avid tea drinker for many years now, and have come to appreciate the variety of flavors present in tea leaves itself – from malty Assams to buttery Gyokuros. There are a number of delicious flavored black teas that I enjoy, but finding a flavored green tea whose flavors enhance, not mask, the natural green tea flavor has been a challenge. In Pekoe Sip House’s Sunny Green blend, I’ve finally found the perfect balance between the tea itself and the added flavor elements.

I’m a huge fan of loose-leaf teas because they are a multi-sensory experience. The tea itself is visually beautiful. The long, folded leaves are a deep green, offset by large hunks of dried pineapple and papaya. Cobalt-colored corn flowers add a striking POP of color. The aroma of the dry leaves is at once earthen and sweet, and literally makes your mouth water.

I brewed the tea for 90 seconds in 170 degree water. The liquor was somewhere between peach and gold, with a very strong aroma of pineapple and papaya. But when I took a sip, I was amazed and pleased to find that the woody, warm flavor of green tea I’ve come to love was still the king of the broth. I could definitely taste the pineapple and papaya – it’s like the sweet and tart areas of my palate were tingling – but they did not overpower the tea. And underpinning it all was the tiniest hint of floral notes.

By the end of the cup, the tea tasted as if I’d added just the perfect amount of sugar (though I never add sugar). Since that first cup, I’ve since chilled the tea, mixed it into cocktails, mixed it with fruit juices, even added sliced cucumber – I’ve tried several permutations of it and have been delighted at how versatile it is, and how perfectly it maintains it’s balance between the tea and the fruit.

I think I may have found the perfect, flavored green tea!

Preparation

Totally got me through the flu season! Their “Revival” wellness blend is nicely balanced and feels good in the body. For energy, I have also put the Pekoe Mate in this blend for a boost while detoxing.

Preparation

This blend is visually stunning. It’s full of so much stuff it could keep you occupied just identifying all its parts. Normally that’s something I balk at. I’m one to prefer fewer ingredients to extra ones. But in this case, it all works out well.

You’ll clearly see the chamomile, rosehips, cardamom, calendula, ginger and fruit pieces. I had issues identifying everything, and I’m certain I missed plenty of ingredients, including which fruits were included. The dry aroma is mostly mint. Every time I tried to capture more nuance I just ended up sneezing though so I gave up after ten or fifteen attempts.

Once steeped, the liquor brews a sensuous golden color. The aroma is a combination of the mint and chomomile, with only the slightest hints of stones fruits such as peach or apricot. Some camphor can also be noted. The briskness of this tisane blend is limited to the mint. Everything else seems to soften the blow.

I recommend this blend to anyone with a sore throat and to fans of chamomile and mint teas.